Medley
by Iapetus
Summary: An assortment of drabbles I've written for the Nathaniel/Anders pairing.  Originally posted on Tumblr.  Note: ratings on the drabbles differs widely - only a few are an M rating.
1. Sleeping In

**Author's Note:** This is a collection of drabbles I've written for the Nathaniel/Anders pairing on Tumblr. Updates will be as I write them, which will be erratic. (Except the first few updates, where I post what's already written.) The title of each drabble will be the title of its "chapter."

Any special notes and/or warnings will be posted in the A/N at the top of the drabble. And thank you, as always, for reading!

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><p>Nathaniel had barely shifted his weight when he felt an arm wrap around his torso. Anders was getting better at feigning sleep, he had to admit. Hesitating only for a moment, Nathaniel reached to move the arm when he heard a muffled noise against the pillow.<p>

"No."

Anders was not a morning person.

This was something that Nathaniel had learned what felt like a long time ago, when he had first been conscripted into the Wardens. That was well before they started sharing a room together, before they started sharing a bed.

Raising an eyebrow, Nathaniel tried again, only to have Anders pull him closer. "Too early. Stay in bed." Now, it was something that crossed his mind every day.

"The sun's up already, Anders," Nathaniel said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Even more perplexing was how Anders _always_ managed to position himself between Nathaniel and the edge of the bed. If the rogue were to get out, he'd have to climb over Anders, or get him out of bed first.

The former had a higher success rate. On most days. Some days it was simply doomed for failure, like today.

"So?"

"That usually means it's time to wake up."

"'Usually,'" he repeated, twining his legs with the rogue's to further keep him in place. "Then let's be 'unusual.'"

"If that's unusual, then you always are," Nathaniel said, and he saw Anders grin before opening his eyes sleepily.

"Please, Nathaniel?"

For a moment he hesitated, and was all the encouragement Anders needed. Nathaniel relented, and allowed himself to be pulled close, relaxing into the hold. As he ran a hand over Anders' shoulder, he smiled at the pleased hum he heard in response.

"Alright."


	2. Rendezvous

Originally written for Lythlyra on Tumblr as a response to her prompt: When Nate realizes that Anders just might be flirting with him.

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><p>Days like today, when the sky was clear except for a few wisps of clouds impossibly higher than those that usually visited, were a blessing. Nathaniel always sought to take these to their full advantage, and walk the battlements to watch the sun set when he was at the Keep.<p>

At first, he took these walks alone. But as time marched on, Nathaniel found himself more often than not accompanied by a certain mage. They never walked up together; Anders was always there first. Nathaniel wondered how he did it. He never seemed to have waited long.

Today was no different. Anders leaned against the stone, looking west as the sky reddened.

"Come to keep me company, Nathaniel? You shouldn't have."

"I thought you were teaching some of the servants how to make basic poultices today," Nathaniel said in way of greeting.

"Nah, gave them a chance to enjoy the day like me. There'll be plenty of time for it the next time it rains."

Nathaniel nodded, and found himself looking the mage over. It always impressed Nathaniel how immaculate Anders kept his appearance. This was difficult to do when they were traveling, and Mahariel _always_ insisted that Anders accompany him on the missions, but he still managed to do better than most. It wasn't something that was unique to mages, at least Nathaniel didn't think so.

He wondered if it was to counter for the constant shadow on the mage's face that he seemed to never be rid of.

Nathaniel's attention did not go unnoticed.

"I heard a rumor today from one of the servants," Anders said, taking the attention as an invite for conversation, "one that I think you would be particularly interested in, Nathaniel."

"Oh really," he said, "what would that be?"

"Yes. It's about the Keep, and I was looking for some," he paused dramatically, "_confirmation_. From someone who has lived here for awhile."

"There are servants who have lived here longer than I have," Nathaniel said simply. That would be true even if he hadn't been squired in the Free Marches.

"Well, yes," Anders admitted, "but they aren't, well, _you_." The corner of the mage's lips quirked up in a crooked smile that gave Nathaniel pause. It had been a long time since he had seen Anders use that particular smile, and it hadn't been on him.

"They aren't me," he repeated slowly, and then narrowed his eyes. "I did not know you held my opinion in such high regard, Anders."

"That's me, full of surprises." He grinned.

There was something different about the way Anders held his body posture now. So often when they trained the new recruits or were out on a mission with their commander, Nathaniel would notice a tightness in Anders' shoulders that remained even when he would crack jokes with Oghren. It was a rare thing to see the mage so relaxed.

"So what is this rumor you heard?" Nathaniel asked, crossing his arms by instinct. He forced them to his sides shortly after,

"Well," Anders said, straightening up, "I heard that the reason the Howe scowl is so legendary is because the weather is often miserable here." He gestured to the beautiful evening sky. "When was the last time we've seen that? I lose count easily when it's grey all the time."

It had been a few weeks, at least.

"To blame my family's disposition on the weather alone would be folly," he said. "There is much more to it than that."

"So the rumor _is_ true, then!" Nathaniel was about to voice a rebuke when Anders laughed. "All the more reason to pray for sunshine. The rain makes everything soggy anyways."

"I would rather be walking the battlements than inside because of the rain," Nathaniel admitted.

"So you're saying you'd rather be out here with me?" Anders said, grinning.

Nathaniel sighed and massaged his temple. He looked up and saw the mage's expression soften if but a little. "Wouldn't come up here if you weren't here."

"…thank you, Anders," Nathaniel said, and looked out towards the sunset. The comfortable silence between them was only broken by casual activity in the courtyard, but even from this distance it felt muted.

He wondered for a moment if maybe Anders was serious. And in the dying light of the evening sun, the mage looked… well, dashing wasn't the right word. Handsome, though, he wouldn't deny - but he wouldn't say that out loud.

It was something Nathaniel would have to think about.


	3. Nose

A/N: Inspired by a piece of artwork on Tumblr by IHeartApostates. The link to it can be found on my profile.

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><p>It had happened as naturally as breathing, so natural that it had crept up on him like a master teaching their apprentice a lesson in stealth. Nathaniel didn't realize enormity of it until Anders elbow was on his shoulder, and he felt no need to shrug it off.<p>

The kitten was as confident as his master, sitting on Anders' shoulder and strangely enough ignoring the feathers that he ususally liked to play with.

"Anders, he keeps staring at me," Nathaniel said, looking the kitten in the eye. It did not blink.

"Of course he does," Anders said, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. "He knows a handsome man when he sees one, don't you, Ser Pounce-a-lot?"

If that were true, then it was obvious why the kitten was always by Anders side, though Nathaniel did not say that out loud. Anders' ego did not need any assistance inflating itself.

"And you are well-versed in the thoughts and mannerisms of cats?" he asked. "To know such things?"

"Nathaniel, I could write a _book_ on the subject. I'm a bit of an expert."

"I'm sure there would be plenty who would find such a book invaluable."

"Of course they would." Anders leaned in closer. "But I could tell you a secret right now, that I wouldn't publish."

"It wouldn't be a secret if you published it, now would it?"

"I have to keep a few trade secrets," Anders said. "But for Pounce, at least, it's your nose."

"My nose," he said, and it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"It _is_ quite distinctive."

As if on cue, the kitten reached out with his paw and touched the tip of Nathaniel's nose. He gave one small meow, and then came to rest again on Anders' shoulder.

Anders chuckled. "See, I told you."


	4. Moonlight

A/N: Written to help celebrate the new year.

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><p>"I read once that if you kiss someone under a full moon on First Day that you'll be with them forever," Anders said.<p>

Nathaniel had grown used to Anders' random comments, but the ones that sounded random but were really not were harder to decipher. It required knowing the mage very well, which not even all of the Wardens could do. This was one of the elusive ones, but Nathaniel could play along.

"It's a folk saying, yes," he said. His father had called such things fallacies, and Nathaniel had taken him at his word. It was something he still did not believe.

They could make their own luck. He kissed Anders, wanting to deepen it. He was surprised when, instead, the kiss was broken.

"It isn't a full moon, you know," Anders said, and he nipped at Nathaniel's lip. It was true, the moon wasn't even close to full, hanging in the sky, curved in a crescent that reminded Nathaniel of the end of Anders' favorite staff.

Nathaniel mouthed the line of Anders' jaw until he found the point where jaw and neck joined. "I don't need the moon to tell me why I want to to kiss you," he whispered.

Saying or not, there was no other way Nathaniel would rather bring in the new year.


	5. Sensory

It's the the prickle of a five o-clock shadow that contrasts with the strands of soft hair that fall around Anders' face, and both that brush Nathaniel's skin. It's the chapped lips that remind them both of the high winds of the day, and can see the fabric of the tent tug in the corner of their vision. It's the sound of the wind and the crackle of the fire that gives them privacy - daring small gasps and whispers they would never chance at any other night while camping.

It's not the heat of the fire that Nathaniel notices but the warmth of Anders' body on his - skin sliding against skin in such a way Nathaniel is sure he will go crazy. It's the way his nails dig into Anders' back, and pulls him closer. It's the way they move together, and how any thought other than each other is impossible.

It's the way Nathaniel's guard lowers when only Anders is around - the way he does it without realizing it.


	6. Understanding

Nathaniel knows when Anders' smiles are genuine.

It is not something he learns immediately, for Anders is quick to crack a joke and smile at just about anything. It is ridiculous to hear but Nathaniel keeps silent for much of it at first, because he knows much can be learned by what a man doesn't say.

The commander insists that both Nathaniel and Anders are with him on every mission. Nathaniel doesn't understand mages, and asks questions. Anders deflects the questions sent his way. After awhile, Nathaniel stops trying to understand mages and starts trying to understand Anders.

He sees the first glimmer of a smile that's different when Anders is talking with Oghren. They are talking about alcohol, with is not a suprirse, and then Oghren laughs at something Anders has said. And in a flash, there is something different in his smile. Nathaniel notices it in Anders' eyes.

These brief moments start to occur in greater frequency, but it is when the commander gives Anders a small kitten that everything changes. Anders face lights up at the sight of the animal - a little too thin and need of some tender loving care - and the kitten meows when Anders picks him up. This smile is completely different than all the rest.

The story of Mister Wiggums is not one Anders has told Nathaniel when talking about the Circle Tower, and it is not one Nathaniel will soon forget.

Ser Pounce-a-lot is given free reign of the Keep, and is not always by Anders' side. But when he catches up to his human, Anders has that same bright smile. It is completely genuine.

There are times when Nathaniel goes to seek Anders out, for any number of reasons, and he notices Pounce bat the fabric of the mage robes, or try to knaw on the boot. Anders laughs and picks him up, kissing the kitten on the top of his head.

The task at hand can wait a moment, and Nathaniel watches from the shadows until Pounce squirms in Anders' arms to be let down.

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><p>Anders knows when Nathaniel is watching.<p>

If they were not Wardens, then perhaps he would not. Nathaniel is accomplished in his skills with stealth and subturfuge, and it is only the pull of the Taint at the back of his mind that alerts him to the presence of another. At first it had been disconcerting, since it was similar to the pull of darkspawn, but now it was a comfort of sorts.

He knows it's Nathaniel because he does not interrupt at first, when Ser Pounce-a-lot is true to his name and _pounces_ on his boots. Anders knows the kitten is hoping to catch Anders without those boots, to catch a wiggling toe and then lick it with his scratchy tongue. Nathaniel waits.

It is not something he expects of the rogue. Nathaniel comes off to him as a dog person, and is fond of the commander's mabari. Nathaniel is very much about getting a job done. So when he waits, it makes Anders wonder.

But it is hard to wonder for long when Pounce rubs his head against his chin.

Nathaniel always waits until Pounce has had his fun and is on his way again - a kitten on a mission - before he approaches Anders. He pretends that he saw nothing.

He does not always understand Nathaniel, but when he waits so patiently, it makes Anders want to.


	7. Happiness

Anders wakes in the middle of the night, not to the shifting of Nathaniel's body or a dream brought on by the taint, but to the feeling of a wet nose on his cheek. Opening his eyes, he sees the profile of Pounce carved out of the dim moonlight that has made its way into the room.

"Missed me that much, did you?" he whispers. This is the third night Anders has spent in Nathaniel's bedroom this week. Nathaniel doesn't have a small part of his bedroom door cut away for Pounce to enter and leave like Anders does.

Nathaniel leaves his window open in the summer, as most of those who reside in the keep do, and Pounce must have walked along the ledges to get to the open window. It was the only way in, with the door bolted earlier that evening like it had been.

Anders lifts his hand to scritch Pounce behind the ears. He feels the cat purr instead of hearing it. Then, Pounce licks him on the nose. He cuckles, and it is then he feels Nathaniel stir - the slight shift of fingers against his chest and then the flex of his arm shifting slightly.

"What is it," he says, sleep still in his voice.

"Pounce came to visit," Anders says. "Do you mind?"

Nathaniel is quiet for a moment. "No," he says, "it's alright."

Whether Pounce understands what Nathaniel says or not is unknown, but it is then that he curls up against Anders bare chest, giving the mage one last long look before settling down to rest. As Anders drifts back to sleep, he wonders if this is what people mean when they talk about true happiness.

If not, then it is for him.


	8. Ask

Note: And with this one, the rating of the story officially shifts from T to M. Here there be smut, though not described in great detail.

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><p>Nathaniel never asks for it.<p>

Anders has never asked the follow-up question to that first unspoken one of _why not_, and he is sure that Nathaniel has his reasons. And there's something special in that space, when the air grows warm and their hands bump as they remove each other's clothes and he can't ask then.

Nathaniel never asks for it, but he doesn't say no, either.

Anders knows Nathaniel is no fool, and when Anders kisses his way down Nathaniel's chest and pushes his back into the door, they both know what is about to happen. Nathaniel's fingers find their way into Anders hair - they always do - and they could just as easily pull him away. But they don't. They don't push or pull, though they do tighten depending on what Anders does.

Nathaniel never asks for it, but Anders can tell by the way he moans how much he enjoys it.

Anders always pauses for a moment as he kneels in front of Nathaniel - to admire the toned muscles of his hips, his thighs, his stomach. He saves the sight of Nathaniel's cock for last. It isn't always completely aroused - though sometimes it is - but it is always at least on its way there. Anders fingers stroke away any lingering hesitation before he takes the tip of Nathaniel's cock into his mouth.

Nathaniel never asks for it, and it's one of the reasons Anders loves to do it.

Anders sees how often Nathaniel is strung tighter than one of his bows; it happens on days when the whispered comments about his family get to him. They are not perfect - they are only men. Anders reminds Nathaniel of that. Wants to help him relax. But sometimes he does it because he loves the way Nathaniel's grip in his hair tightens when his tongue runs along the vein underneath. The way his breath will hitch. The way he tastes when he finally lets go.

Nathaniel never asks for it, and Anders is determined to change that.


	9. Ideas

NOTE: This drabble carries an "M" rating.

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><p>It had been Anders' idea.<p>

"That leather skirt of yours is distracting," he said, sipping his ale and then leaning back in his seat. "You should wear it all the time, except when you're naked."

"Like your robes, then?" Nathaniel said, arching an eyebrow.

"I'd say yes, but I'm sure my robes don't look as nice on me as that skirt does on you. Or, well, what it _doesn't_ cover." His eyes drifted down to Nathaniel's thighs.

Nathaniel begged to differ - it really depended on _what_ robes Anders was wearing. Instead he smirked, and pushed his drink away. "Like them that much, do you?" he said, lowering his voice that much more so Anders had to lean in closer to hear what he was saying.

"Let me show you how much," Anders whispered.

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><p>They hadn't bothered to push the fur bed cover back, and that was something Nathaniel appreciated back in the corner of his mind. He loved the mix of sensations - the fur on his feet and legs, Anders' skin against his, the cold air across his chest - it making every little movement that much more intense.<p>

Nathaniel was already hard when Anders took him into his mouth, and for a moment he couldn't breathe. He kept his hips as still as he could, watching Anders suck on him with lidded eyes. And then he felt Anders hand on his thigh, fingers spreading to map the lines of muscle, and then to curl around and hold Nathaniel in place.

"Let me show you what I think about doing to you when you wear that skirt," he had said. Anders then massaged the underside of Nathaniel's arousal with his tongue.

_Maker's breath_ that mouth was wicked. A low moan passed his lips, and he could not look away.

One of Anders hands started to move, tracing lazy patterns up his lip and then to his chest, and pushed gently on it. Though he was unable to speak, Nathaniel could hear what he wanted quite clearly:

_I want to see you._

Nathaniel ran his hand down Anders' arm before he complied, pausing at the crook of his elbow, at the curve of his shoulder. It was with great reluctance that Nathaniel finally leaned back, his hand gripping the fur. Anders rewarded him with a pleased hum that reverberated through Nathaniel's body.

"_Anders_," Nathaniel whispered. "Ah-"

This wasn't enough. Nathaniel didn't need the support of both arms like this, and so he brought his hand to Anders' chest, which he couldn't see. It was strange feeling it this way, from a different angle and without sight, and it reminded him of sleeping with Anders for the first time. The thrill of exploring a new lover's body after so much time imagining, how nothing he dreamed of could match reality.

Maybe next time they would use a blindfold.

He was dimly aware that Anders had left his smallclothes on, but Nathaniel wasn't going to let a fact like that stop him. He teased the edge of fabric with his fingers, and Anders paused for only a moment before he continued. Anders' arousal was straining the fabric, and Nathaniel ran his thumb down the covered length before reaching beneath the fabric and pulling it out.

Nathaniel would not leave Anders wanting.

If Anders' skin was warm then the flesh in Nathaniel's grip was scorching. He noted with satisfaction the way it became difficult for Anders to keep a steady rhythm, but to be fair the feeling was mutual. Nathaniel's back arched and his eyes threatened to close, lost as he was in the sensations.

And then it was too much. He cried out Anders name as the tightness of his body bled from him. Anders brushed his fingers back and forth across Nathaniel's thighs as he swallowed.

After a moment's breath, and then another, Nathaniel started to stroke Anders hard. He pulled his hips back a little and Anders complied with the request, Nathaniel's length feeling suddenly cool with the exposure of wet skin to the air. Anders pushes his head back into the pillow and his eyes did close for a moment. Nathaniel took in the sight of it - Anders' lips still moistened, parted as they were as Nathaniel stroked him harder - and his own length still close to that mouth and slick from the previous attentions.

It wasn't long before Anders cried out, and Nathaniel could feel the warmth of his release on his fingers. He swirled the tip as Anders rode out the pleasure, and felt the rapid breaths beneath him. When Anders opened his eyes again, Nathaniel had brought his fingers to his lips, licking away the mess. Anders brushed the inside of Nathaniel's thigh with a gentle kiss, and then looked up, smiling.

Nathaniel knew he wasn't going to be able to look at his leather skirts the same way ever again.


	10. Luck

Note: Depending on one's definition of it, this could be considered an "M" rating.

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><p>Nathaniel's nipples are sensitive.<p>

Which doesn't say much by the simple statement, as Anders had experience with more than one person's nipples in his lifetime, but he is fairly sure that Nathaniel's are the _most_ sensitive. They certainly are more than his own.

He enjoys the times when he can get Nathaniel to lie back, and to feel how his body reacts when his mouth covers one of the nipples. His reactions are not immediately obvious, but they are ones that Anders feels with all of his senses. It's the way his chest tightens and he draws it back into the mattress. It's the way his breath catches. It's the way that his lips curl into a pleased smile when he thinks Anders isn't looking.

And Anders loves kissing, touching, not just those nipples but the skin around it. This is not a body of a mage locked in a tower and had little exercise, like so many he's had in the past. This is the body of a man who trains every day, whose body might be described in one of the Antivan romances Sigrun reads.

When Nathaniel moans, breaking through his quiet demeanor, Anders knows he is a lucky man.


	11. Kiss

Note: This drabble carries an "M" rating.

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><p>It's difficult to resist, to not to replace Nathaniel's hand with his own and stroke him so his moans break their kisses. It is difficult but not impossible. Not when Anders' fingers caress the skin of Nathaniel's chest - not when he can feel him breathing.<p>

These kisses are among his favorites. These kisses aren't filled with sex the way Nathaniel sometimes steals one in the corner of the Keep. Not the way Anders kisses Nathaniel when the door to their bedroom has been closed for the night. Those kisses are also wonderful, but these are special. These kisses are more than sex - they are slow and not demanding. They simply are. They are the sorts of kisses that Anders has only shared with one other person.

And with the gentle whisper from the Fade, magic flows from his fingers as they drift lower, giving Nathaniel a little extra stamina as Anders pulls the hand away and replaces them with his hips.


	12. Image

Note: Though sex is both mentioned and implied, I would rate this drabble a "T" since it isn't shown.

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><p>Nathaniel has never been self-conscious about his body hair in the dark. In the dark it is only a texture, and those he took to bed were the sort who were fond of it. It was something he made sure of beforehand.<p>

Serving in the Wardens with Anders, they had both seen each other in almost nothing in full light before they became intimate. That first time, before they even became friendly. Running into each other in the baths, bathing together in rivers while out on missions for each other's protection, and in Anders' case treating Nathaniel when he was injured. Anders was well-aware of Nathaniel's body hair.

But despite that, there was hesitation when Anders asked to leave a candle lit when they had sex. The soft glow made Anders' skin look beautiful, but Nathaniel was too keenly aware of how the dark hair stood out on his own body. The hair on Anders' body was not so evident, blond as it was.

Anders spoke no words, but said everything Nathaniel needed to hear in the way his lips brushed Nathaniel's chest. The way his hands traced the lines of muscle. And then, after they were spent, the way he lay his head on Nathaniel's stomach.

This was not the time and the place to voice his insecurities.

Nathaniel closed his eyes and let the quiet acceptance fill the room as he raised a hand to weave into Anders' hair. The sigh he felt against his skin, against his own hair, was worth it.


	13. Unorthodox

Note: This drabble carries a mild "M" rating.

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><p>Anders didn't take off his boots before his robe.<p>

And perhaps Nathaniel shouldn't have been surprised that Anders wasn't wearing any breeches beneath those robes, but he wasn't quite prepared for the sight of all that skin at once. Pale, but still darker than his, and covering a frame that he hadn't expected to see in a mage who had lived most of his life in the Circle.

Nathaniel swallowed hard and tried not to stare. They were bathing together in the river for safety's sake, nothing more. Anders was his fellow Grey Warden, and a friend.

But as he undid the buckles of his baldrics and unlaced his pauldrons, he could not help but watch Anders out of the corner of his eye as he sat down on a large stone in only his smallclothes and his boots. No, this was not the first time Nathaniel had thought of such things, but Anders hadn't been so close when he did. Or wearing only smallclothes. Then Anders reached for the laces, loosening them until he was able to pull the first one off.

It wasn't a graceful display, but perhaps that is why it held Nathaniel's attention all the more. The way Anders' muscles flexed as he changed position, and then threw the boot farther up the bank. Then Anders eyes met his, and a smirk curled at the corners of his lips.

"You're so quiet," he said. "Pounce got your tongue?"

The words broke him out of his thoughts. "Admiring nature," he said, turning his body away. Though it didn't matter how lush the grass was on the bank of the river or how the sounds of crickets filled the background - those were not the things on Nathaniel's mind in that moment.

He was grateful for his change in angle when he took off his leather skirt and saw how his cock was less interested about sublty than he was. Perhaps he could get into the water without Anders noticing.

There were more foolish things he had considered in his life.

He wasn't surprised when he heard Anders approach behind him, the uneven footfalls telling him without seeing that Anders hadn't taken off the other boot yet. He focused his attention on the laces of his bracers.

Nimble fingers touched the side of his hips, just above his smallclothes, and then traced around to the front to toy with his navel. Hesitant, with enough space for Nathaniel to push Anders away. He didn't.

He thought about what it would be like to turn around, to kiss Anders' neck and shoulders and commit to memory the taste of his skin.

They didn't have time for this. "Anders," he said, his voice a little deeper than normal.

"Hmmm?" His fingers continued their soft touch up his chest, dipping in and out of the lines of muscle.

"What are you doing?"

Anders chuckled. "I would have thought that was obvious," he said. "'Admiring nature,' like you were." His other hand hooked fingers at the side of Nathaniel's smallclothes, and his mouth hovered near Nathaniel's ear. "How about we stop pretending we're not?"

Nathaniel was quiet for a moment, closing his eyes and enjoying the way those words made his insides coil. He breathed in sharply when Anders nipped at his earlobe, and it was then he turned a partial way in the embrace.

And as their lips met for the first time in a brush that could barely be called a kiss, Nathaniel decided that the others could wait for their baths a little while longer.


End file.
